1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mounting arrangements for electrical connectors, and particularly to a communications jack frame that can be mounted on a face plate in one of a number of different orientations.
2. Discussion of the Known Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,439 (Mar. 17, 1992) discloses a communications jack and a wall plate having an opening for receiving the jack. The jack has flexible members on its side surfaces, for engaging corresponding slots in the sides of the wall plate opening. The jack is mounted on the wall plate with its front face parallel to the front of the wall plate, i.e., a flush mount. Thus, when a plug connector is inserted in the jack, a wire or cable extends away from the connector in a direction perpendicular to the wall plate. Sufficient space therefore must be available for the cable to bend and be routed in a direction other than perpendicular to the wall plate. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,018 (Aug. 20, 1991); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,140 (Apr. 12, 1994).
Recently, a demand has arisen for wall or face plates that allow jacks to be mounted with a sloped orientation, so that the front of the jack will directly face, e.g., a floor surface beneath the face plate. Such a sloped or inclined orientation would allow a cable to be routed directly downward toward the floor when its plug is inserted in the jack. See co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/534,218 filed Sep. 26, 1995, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Manufacturers of communication jacks have invested largely in wall plate and mounting box hardware that provides a parallel or flush mounting orientation for the jacks. To build new molds for wall plates that would allow existing jacks to be mounted to face downward (i.e., toward the floor), for customers desiring a sloped jack orientation, would be very expensive. As far as is known, there are no wall plates and jacks that can be combined to allow the jacks to mount either flush or facing downward, at the user's option. As mentioned, different products are needed depending on which mounting orientation is desired. This means additional costs and inventory for the jack and wall plate manufacturers, and for their customers.
Another problem arises with respect to icons, i.e., small legend-bearing tabs that snap onto the front face of the jack. The icons serve to identify the jack function, e.g., whether the jack is associated with a telephone, or a data or modem communications line. If a jack is to be mounted on a face plate in either one of a flush or a sloped orientation, then the icon must be clearly visible to the user in either jack mount position.